And yet, Hillary Clinton’s choice of Tim Kaine as her running mate, which she announced by texting supporters tonight, has gotten some people very worked up. Unfortunately for the Clinton-Kaine ticket, not in a good way.

The ideological case against Kaine as some sort of Blue Dog Democrat is thin. Yes, he’s been in favor of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and banking deregulation, but those two stances alone don’t exactly make him the second coming of Joe Lieberman. Indeed, Kaine checks pretty much every other standard liberal box, from abortion (he’s pro-choice) to gay marriage (he’s for it) to the environment (he was against the Keystone pipeline) to guns (he’s an outspoken gun control advocate). On foreign policy, he might actually be to Hillary’s left: He’s repeatedly argued that the Senate should be much less deferential to President Obama on matters of war and peace and has spearheaded the effort to force Obama to get Congressional approval for military strikes against ISIS.

So what explains the backlash to Kaine? Part of it is that he’s not Bernie Sanders—or Elizabeth Warren, for that matter—and part of it is that he’s a 58-year-old white guy from a border state. But the biggest complaints about Kaine, it seems, are really complaints about Clinton. Kaine was the safest veep choice that Clinton could have made. His gender, race, and age—while potentially off-putting to millennials—will presumably serve to reassure older white men who are nervous about voting for a woman at the top of the ticket. He hails from an important swing state. There’s very little chance he’ll ever upstage her.

In picking Kaine, Hillary once again demonstrated the political caution for which she’s become famous—or infamous. Her calculation is obviously that, with a madman for an opponent, her best route to the White House is the safest one. Picking Elizabeth Warren would have thrilled Sanders supporters and created an unprecedented all-female ticket, too. Tapping Labor Secretary Tom Perez would have been an historic choice as well, giving us our first Hispanic vice presidential nominee. Instead, Clinton went with Kaine, who speaks fluent Spanish. That’s about as much excitement, she figures, she’ll need this Noviembre.

Since 1957, GQ has inspired men to look sharper and live smarter with its unparalleled coverage of style, culture, and beyond. From award-winning writing and photography to binge-ready videos to electric live events, GQ meets millions of modern men where they live, creating the moments that create conversations.